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2008 National Healthcare Quality & Disparities Reports

Table 10_3_1.1
Adults age 65 and over who received potentially inappropriate prescription medicationsa in the calendar year, United States, 2002 and 2005
Population group 2005 2002
Received 1 of 33 inappropriate drugs Received 1 of 11 drugs that should be avoided Received 1 of 33 inappropriate drugs Received 1 of 11 drugs that should be avoided
Percent SE Percent SE Percent SE Percent SE
Total 17.7 0.7 2.7 0.3 18.4 0.7 3.1 0.3
Age 65–69 18.4 1.3 3.6 0.8 15.6 1.2 2.6 0.5
70–74 18.1 1.5 3.2 0.7 19.3 1.4 3.2 0.6
75–79 19.6 1.9 * * 18.6 1.4 4.1 0.9
80–84 16.1 1.6 * * 21.4 2.2 * *
85 and over 13.6 1.8 * * 18.6 2.1 * *
Gender Male 14.3 1.1 1.9 0.4 14.2 0.9 2.0 0.4
Female 20.2 1.0 3.2 0.5 21.4 1.0 3.9 0.5
Race White, single race 17.3 0.8 2.6 0.3 18.7 0.7 3.1 0.4
Black, single race 18.6 1.8 * * 18.1 2.0 * *
Asian, single race 20.3 5.0 * * * * * *
NHOPI, single race * * * * * * * *
AI/AN, single race * * * * * * * *
Multiple races * * * * * * * *
Ethnicity Non-Hispanic, all races 17.9 0.8 2.8 0.3 18.4 0.7 3.1 0.3
Non-Hispanic, White 17.6 0.8 2.8 0.4 18.8 0.8 3.1 0.4
Non-Hispanic, Black 18.9 1.8 * * 18.3 2.0 * *
Hispanic 13.5 1.7 * * 17.0 2.3 * *
Family incomeb Negative/poor 19.3 2.0 3.5 1.0 21.7 1.9 3.6 0.8
Near poor/low 19.6 1.4 2.9 0.7 21.3 1.5 4.4 0.8
Middle 16.7 1.4 2.2 0.5 17.9 1.2 2.8 0.5
High 16.4 1.2 2.6 0.5 15.3 1.2 2.0 0.4
Educationc Less than high school 19.1 1.3 1.9 0.5 20.4 1.3 3.8 0.6
High school graduate 18.3 1.2 2.9 0.6 18.7 1.2 3.0 0.6
At least some college 16.3 1.2 3.1 0.6 16.0 1.1 2.4 0.5
Health insurance Medicare only 16.8 1.4 2.4 0.5 16.9 1.3 2.5 0.6
Medicare and private 17.3 0.9 2.5 0.4 17.9 0.8 3.0 0.4
Medicare and other public 21.7 2.0 4.2 1.1 26.1 2.1 5.2 1.0
Residence locationd Metropolitan 17.1 0.8 2.6 0.3 17.9 0.8 3.0 0.4
  Large central metro 19.1 1.4 3.0 0.7 16.6 1.4 3.2 0.6
  Large fringe metro 14.1 1.5 2.1 0.6 18.8 1.6 2.9 0.8
  Medium metro 18.4 1.7 2.4 0.7 18.2 1.6 2.7 0.6
  Small metro 15.0 2.7 * * 18.9 2.6 * *
Nonmetropolitan 19.9 1.8 3.1 0.8 20.1 1.4 3.3 0.6
  Micropolitan 18.2 2.2 * * 21.9 1.8 3.8 0.7
  Noncore 23.0 2.8 * * 16.6 1.8 2.3 0.6
Language spoken most often at home English 18.0 0.8 2.8 0.3 19.0 0.7 3.1 0.3
Other 16.4 2.6 * * 16.0 1.9 * *
Perceived health status Excellent/very good/good 15.8 0.8 2.6 0.4 15.9 0.8 2.6 0.4
Fair/poor 23.6 1.6 2.8 0.6 25.7 1.5 4.2 0.6
Activity limitationsd Basic activities 23.8 1.2 3.5 0.6 28.1 1.2 4.4 0.6
Complex activities 26.8 2.2 5.2 1.2 32.1 2.1 5.4 1.1
Neither basic nor complex activities 14.4 0.9 2.3 0.4 13.0 0.7 2.4 0.4

a Prescription medications received includes all prescribed medications initially purchased or otherwise obtained during calendar year, as well as any refills.

b Negative/poor refers to household incomes below the Federal poverty line; near poor/low, over the poverty line to just below 200 percent of the poverty line; middle, 200 percent to just below 400 percent of the poverty line; and high, 400 percent of the poverty line and over.

c Less than high school refers to fewer than 12 years of education; high school graduate, 12 years of education; and at least some college, more than 12 years of education.

d For more information, see the MEPS entry in Appendix A, Data Sources.

* - Data do not meet the criteria for statistical reliability, data quality, or confidentiality.

Key: AI/AN: American Indian or Alaska Native; NHOPI: Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; SE: standard error.

Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Center for Financing, Access and Cost Trends, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

 

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